US and Austria Block Iran Nuclear Chief from Entering Vienna for IAEA Summit
Mohammad Eslami, Iran's Vice President for Nuclear Affairs, was blocked from entering Austria after the US opposed a UN travel exemption, forcing him to miss the IAEA conference in Vienna.
Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and Vice President for Nuclear Affairs, was blocked from entering Austria and attending the annual IAEA conference in Vienna following pressure from the Trump administration. Eslami departed Tehran on Saturday, but his entry visa was revoked while his flight was already airborne, forcing the aircraft to turn back.
Austria had requested an exemption from the UN sanctions committee to allow Eslami to travel, but the request was denied after the US opposed the waiver. Consequently, Iran will be represented by a low-ranking official at the conference, marking the first time in years that Eslami has missed the event.
IAEA Resolution and Tensions
The incident comes amid peak tensions between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Last week, the IAEA Board of Governors voted to refer the Iranian nuclear file to the UN Security Council for the first time in roughly two decades, with 23 of 35 member states approving the measure led by the US, France, Germany, and the UK.
"Iran's nuclear activities remain under intense international scrutiny, and the US administration continues to enforce strict diplomatic and economic pressure."
Activity at Mount Parchin
Meanwhile, the IAEA recently warned of suspicious construction activity at the heavily fortified Mount Parchin site. US President Donald Trump warned Tehran against clandestine maneuvers, stating that the US would respond with heavy force. The Iranian Foreign Ministry dismissed the reports regarding Parchin as baseless.
